Temecula Teen Catcher Hopes To Follow In Kelsie Whitmore's Footprints

TEMECULA, CA—In a field dominated by men, Temecula-raised baseball phenom Kelsie Whitmore has a growing fan base of young female players, including one determined to follow in her footsteps to Temecula Valley High School and beyond.

Whitmore recently was among the coaches at the 7th annual Trailblazer Series in Florida, a meeting of 96 girls aged 11 to 13 from across North America. Among them was Temecula Little League catcher and Temecula Middle School 7th grader Elyssa Mones.

MLB.com recently interviewed her about her introduction to Whitmore and her participation in the Trailblazer Series in Florida.

"She has stayed strong and confident through her whole career, and I'm trying to do the same thing," Eyssa said in an MLB interview. "I heard about (Kelsie Whitmore) from my Little League Coach. It's just really inspiring hearing that there was another woman playing in [an affiliated league.]"

Whitmore appreciates that another girl is set to follow in her footsteps. She remains keenly aware of the importance of like-role models for young female athletes.

"I didn't have another woman [in baseball] to look up to growing up," she told MLB. "So I definitely want to do everything I can to be that for these younger girls and help them get through these struggles and battles in whatever way they need."

Mones, who plays predominantly with boys, had pointed questions for Whitmore, asking mostly about changing for games. The answer: sometimes in a bathroom close to the field, at other times in the car.

Whitmore's training goes deep, reminding the girl to find her "why" when she plays, according to the article.

"I used to chase trying to prove others wrong my whole life, and doing that would just drain me out," Whitmore told MLB. "Now, I'm going to chase proving to myself that I belong, proving to myself that I am doing what I want to do."

Read the full story and more about the Trailblazer Series on MLB.com.